Opening Remarks

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  Wendi Strom

  Wendi Strom is the Mayor of Lakewood, Colorado, elected in November 2023 after serving as a City Council member for Ward 5 from 2021 to 2023. Her leadership is marked by a commitment to collaboration, community engagement, and strategic planning for Lakewood’s future. Born and raised on Colorado’s Western Slope, Strom earned a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. Her most recent move to Lakewood was in 2006 with her family, drawn back to Lakewood by the city’s green spaces, strong schools, and vibrant community. Her civic involvement began with the PTA and other local school initiatives, including leading efforts to renovate the Westgate Park playground and advocating for aging residents and neighborhood improvements. Professionally, Strom is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with over two decades of experience helping clients manage their finances and create their financial futures. She left the corporate world in 2014 to start her own financial planning practice, seeking a more meaningful family and community-focused life. Her entry into politics was driven by a desire to restore trust in local leadership and address pressing issues such as housing affordability, homelessness, and public safety. As Mayor, she emphasizes thoughtful growth, economic vitality, and preserving Lakewood’s unique character. She believes in proactive governance, exemplified by initiatives like a recent Lakewood pilot program that assisted with funding the demolition of distressed properties to reduce crime and improve neighborhood safety. Strom’s council assignments include the Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation, the Housing Advisory Policy Commission, the Lakewood Reinvestment Authority Board, and the Mile High Flood District. Her leadership style is rooted in listening, transparency, equity, and a deep commitment to ensuring Lakewood remains a great place to live for all its residents. In her free time, Mayor Strom enjoys walking the many beautiful outdoor spaces throughout Lakewood and in 2024 launched the Mayors Park Challenge to encourage other Lakewood residents to get out and explore new parts of our city. Recently becoming an empty nester, she is also enjoying some newly found free time spending time with friends and family, and taking back up her former hobby of reading.

  City of Lakewood

  Mayor

  Wendi Strom

  Mayor

  City of Lakewood

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  Kami Welch

  CEO

  Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation

P3: Aligning Public and Private Interests

Strategies for navigating multi-party projects that accelerate timelines, reduce risk, and deliver successful properties

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  Douglas Elenowitz

  Mr. Elenowitz is a Co-Founder and Principal of Trailbreak Partners. In this capacity, he is primarily responsible for the firm’s investment strategy, culture and values, investor relations, branding, and long-range growth initiatives. He has over 25 years of real estate finance, investment, and development experience with a focus on urban development and environmentally complex transactions. Under Mr. Elenowitz’s joint leadership, Trailbreak has entitled 1,800+ units of housing, and capitalized and executed more than $898 million in value-add acquisition and development projects, including land, multifamily, for-sale residential, hospitality, mixed-use, and industrial located in the greater Denver metro region. His work spans over 1.8 million square feet of residential and multifamily development and more than 660,000 square feet of commercial real estate. He is a member of the firm’s Leadership and Investment Committees. Prior to forming Trailbreak in 2017, Mr. Elenowitz was a Co-Founder of Denver-based Brownfield Partners and led the acquisition and development of environmental real estate investments across the U.S. He began his career with Zurich North America as an Underwriter and evaluated financial, regulatory, and environmental risks for insurance programs.

  Trailbreak Partners

  Co-Founder and Principal

  Douglas Elenowitz

  Co-Founder and Principal

  Trailbreak Partners

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  Brad Dodson

  Brad leads ULC's capital strategy and investment program, structuring complex real estate transactions and deploying mission-aligned capital to advance ULC's affordable real estate mission. Brad has more than two decades of experience across the public, private and nonprofit sectors, with a strong foundation in real estate development, urban planning and financial management. His previous roles include overseeing publicly-financed development projects for the City and County of Denver and serving as deputy executive director of the Mayor’s Office of the National Western Center, where he managed the financial structure and operations of its $800 million redevelopment program. Brad has a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Carolina and a Master in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New Orleans

  Urban Land Conservancy

  CFO

  Brad Dodson

  CFO

  Urban Land Conservancy

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  Stephan Scinto

  Stephan Scinto serves on the Board of Directors for the Plaza Metropolitan District, where he helps govern Belmar — the premier public-private mixed-use development in Lakewood, Colorado — a 15-city-block district encompassing more than one million square feet of retail and office space alongside 135 hotel keys and over 1500 residential units. Simultaneously, he manages commercial real estate for Bridge33 Capital, including Belmar and several other properties across the country, including retail and mixed-use assets. He handles valuation, reporting, financing and lender relationships, and helps manage leasing strategy, disposition and refinancing activity. Prior to Bridge33, as a Macro Research Analyst for Real Capital Solutions, he built financial models to support acquisition and disposition decisions and aligned the firm's macro views with its micro investment strategy for a $2.5B portfolio. Earlier, as Asset Manager at Orange County Associates, he drove record lease performance across four consecutive fiscal years, implemented industrial condo conversions, and maintained occupancy above 95% through the COVID crisis. Stephan holds an MBA with a Real Estate concentration from Columbia Business School and a BA in Philosophy from Pomona College.

  Bridge33 Capital

  Director, The Plaza Metropolitan District

  Stephan Scinto

  Director, The Plaza Metropolitan District

  Bridge33 Capital

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  Yuriy Gorlov

  Yuriy Gorlov serves as Director of Business Development for Brinkmann Constructors in the Western region, where he focuses on building strategic partnerships that drive successful project outcomes across a variety of industries. He works closely with developers, owners, and end-users to identify opportunities where early collaboration with Brinkmann Constructors can create meaningful value, reduce risk, and strengthen project certainty. Prior to joining Brinkmann, Yuriy spent more than a decade leading economic development initiatives in the Denver metro area. During that time, he partnered with companies across aerospace, advanced manufacturing, logistics, cold storage, food and beverage, and healthcare, helping evaluate sites, navigate entitlements, and see complex development projects go vertical. Yuriy's experience offers a unique perspective on the full lifecycle of development, allowing him to help clients move from concept to completion with clarity and confidence. His understanding of infrastructure planning, fiscal modeling, and collaborative project strategy has contributed to numerous successful developments throughout the region. Yuriy holds degrees in Economics and Finance from the University of Colorado Denver.

  Brinkmann Constructors

  Director

  Yuriy Gorlov

  Director

  Brinkmann Constructors

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  Marcus "MJ" Johnson

  Marcus T. Johnson is a seasoned economic development leader with more than 20 years of experience spanning public sector strategy, community planning, and the construction workforce. Currently serving in senior economic development leadership with the City of Lakewood, Marcus has a proven track record of building cross-sector partnerships that drive sustainable growth, workforce alignment, and community impact. He is known for his ability to convene stakeholders across government, private industry, and nonprofit sectors to tackle complex development and infrastructure challenges.

  City of Lakewood

  Senior Economic Development Specialist

  Moderator

  Marcus "MJ" Johnson

  Senior Economic Development Specialist

  City of Lakewood

Innovation in Building

A deep dive into the latest construction practices, advanced materials, and emerging technologies transforming project efficiency, cost control, and sustainability

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  Tim Fredregill

  Tim leads Outpost Partners, a Colorado development firm specializing in mixed-use town centers and transit-oriented communities. Tim laid the groundwork for his career via a degree in civil engineering and several years of structural engineering design experience. Transferring this experience to a career in real estate, Tim obtained an MBA from the University of Colorado Boulder then worked under macroeconomic guru Marcel Arsenault at Real Capital Solutions. In his current initiative, Outpost Partners aims to deliver value to communities by creating unique developments with a heavy focus on placemaking and artful design. Tim has served as a CU Real Estate Center International Advisory Board member and as a member for the Edgewater Redevelopment Authority.

  Outpost Partners

  Development Executive

  Tim Fredregill

  Development Executive

  Outpost Partners

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  Loni Revercomb

  SVP

  Carmel Partners

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  Lucas Rottler

  Lucas Rottler serves as the Vice President of Preconstruction for Brinkmann Constructors Western Regional Office located in Aurora, CO. He is responsible for leadership oversight and day-to-day management of the preconstruction services across Brinkmann’s diverse market portfolio, including communities (senior living, multifamily, and student housing) as well as industry (warehouse/distribution, manufacturing, and cold storage) among others. Lucas joined Brinkmann in 2008, fulfilling multiple operations roles prior to developing the preconstruction services department and advancing into his current role. From the earliest stages of a project, he emphasizes client advocacy, detailed analysis, and creative solutions while seeking to deliver project certainty to all clients. Lucas holds a dual bachelor’s degree in civil and architectural engineering from Missouri University of Science & Technology.

  Brinkmann Constructors

  VP, Preconstruction

  Lucas Rottler

  VP, Preconstruction

  Brinkmann Constructors

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  Brian Holland

  Brian Holland serves as Vice President for Colorado and the Mountain West Region, bringing more than 25 years of senior executive experience in business development and strategic leadership. Throughout his career, Brian has focused on advancing market acquisition strategies, marketing and brand development, and public relations, while providing executive oversight on complex, large-scale commercial construction projects. Brian’s expertise is deeply rooted in preconstruction services and design management, particularly during the critical early phases of project development and validation. He has successfully supported projects across a wide range of sectors, including healthcare, sports and assembly, corporate office, mission-critical facilities, hospitality, and mixed-use developments. His advanced understanding of construction methodologies—paired with his LEED AP BD+C credential—enables him to seamlessly integrate sustainable and high-performance solutions into each project. Known for his strategic insight and client-focused leadership style, Brian has earned a reputation as a trusted partner and effective leader. He is equally committed to civic engagement and community investment, maintaining active involvement with several nonprofit organizations. Brian’s well-rounded experience and collaborative approach position him to consistently deliver exceptional outcomes for clients and project teams alike.

  Layton Construction

  VP

  Brian Holland

  VP

  Layton Construction

• Moderator

  Jocelyn Hittle

  Managing Principal

  HDR

What Defines the Mile High City? Designing Denver at a Turning Point

How to create distinctive, human-centered spaces that reflect the city’s identity, foster community connection, and deliver long-term value

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  Jon Buerge

  As Chief Executive Officer, Jon Buerge leads the overall strategy, operations, and future growth of Urban Villages. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience within the company, Jon is responsible for executing the firm’s vision and ensuring its mission is woven into every aspect of the business. He provides direct oversight for several key company initiatives, including the development and expansion of Populus Hotels, the brand poised to disrupt the hospitality industry, and the firm’s comprehensive Environmental Stewardship programs. He also provides curatorial leadership for Urban Villages’ core assets, ensuring they perform financially while delivering a positive community impact. A key part of Jon’s role is driving the company’s future growth. He is spearheading a strategy focused on three core pillars: creating holistically regenerative urban communities, pioneering a new, scalable model for attainable workforce housing that is both beautiful and deeply integrated into its local context, and establishing a new market for nature-inspired hospitality. Jon is the primary liaison for the company’s capital and strategic partners, building and maintaining the critical relationships that fuel these ambitious projects. A Colorado native with a JD and an MBA from the University of Colorado, Jon’s leadership is deeply connected to his community. He was previously a board member of the Colorado Climate Action Task Force, Energize Denver, the Urban Land Institute, the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District, the LoDo Board and the Denver Park Trust. He currently serves as a board member of the Downtown Denver Partnership and the City of Denver’s Sustainability Council. Jon has a passion for the outdoors and extreme sports, including skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, and hiking with his wife and three children. In his free time, he also loves to travel and write and recently finished his first novel.

  Urban Villages

  CEO

  Jon Buerge

  CEO

  Urban Villages

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  April Simmons

  As DURA’s Director of Community Investment, April is responsible for project management, community engagement and securing new and additional resources for the organization. Prior to joining DURA, April served as the Memphis and Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)’s Director of Vision and Project Management, where she was responsible for facilitating all of CRA’s projects and programs portfolios, managing most of the public procurement for professional and hard construction services, and supporting ongoing vision development for CRA. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and a Master of Science in Planning. Some of April’s project highlights include working on the North Memphis Greenline Extension and Park, the Memphis Harahan Bridge Project and the Memphis Crosstown Concourse. Originally from the south, April loves to cook and swears that her husband is a BBQ smoke master.

  DURA

  Director of Community Investment

  April Simmons

  Director of Community Investment

  DURA

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  Darcie Chinnis

  Darcie is an Associate Principal at HLB Lighting Design and has a strong background in combining humanity, engineering, construction, art, and energy. She has extensive working experience in daylighting, lighting controls, energy codes, and light pollution, and was the first Leader of Sustainability when HLB formed its Daylighting and Sustainable Design studio. She particularly enjoys projects focusing on the user experience that evoke an emotion, tell a story, or meet a special visual need. She is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Colorado, a Certified Lighting Designer, a WELL Accredited Professional, and a LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction. She is also an active member of the Illuminating Engineering Society and a member of the Technical Committee of DarkSky International.

  HLB Lighting Design

  Associate Principal

  Darcie Chinnis

  Associate Principal

  HLB Lighting Design

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  Dan Craig

  Dan Craig has been practicing architecture in Denver for eighteen years and has a diverse background in project type and scale. Over the years, Dan has been fortunate to be a leading creative voice on a number of great educational and cultural projects in the Denver area, including roles at the Denver Botanic Gardens, The DU Burwell Center for Career Achievement, Meow Wolf, and Colorado Academy’s Performing Arts Theater and Athletic Center. He is highly skilled at project communication and thrives in collaborative efforts, bringing together all involved from various perspectives of a project. Dan also has a valued reputation for high caliber quality control, helping to ensure the thoroughness and resolution of project documentation in order to obtain the most successful construction bid and execution processes possible.

  SAR+

  Principal

  Dan Craig

  Principal

  SAR+

The Next Development Frontier

Lessons from top local projects shaping Denver and Boulder’s skylines, neighborhoods, and community fabric

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  Amy Cara

  Amy is the Managing Partner of East West Partners in Denver. East West Partners is devoted to creating terrific places. Since 1986, the firm has developed and sold over $7 billion of residential and commercial real estate. Amy is always looking for ways to connect people with the places they live and work. Amy is responsible for bringing the new Cherry Creek West development to life. Her team recently completed one of the Denver Union Station transit hub redevelopment and much of the adjacent residential and office including The Coloradan and 16 Chestnut. She also oversaw the revitalization of The Landmark, a distressed mixed-use community that needed new eyes and perspective. Prior to this, Amy helped to create the Riverfront Park community in Denver. More than a collection of buildings, the Riverfront Park neighborhood of Denver, Denver’s Union Station Neighborhood and the Landmark development represent something important to Amy - creating a sense of place. Amy is deeply committed to the community. She a founding member of the Center City Collaborative, which is a coalition of civic-minded, business and community leaders working to find creative and inclusive solutions to the current challenges facing downtown. She is also on the boards of Habitat for Humanity, the Denver Metro Chamber’s EDC, Downtown Denver Partnership’s Civic Ventures Board, the University of Colorado Real Estate Center’s International Advisory Board, and a member of Colorado Concern and the Urban Land Institute’s national Mixed-Use Council, Also deeply committed to the arts, Amy is a founding board member for the Riverfront Park Community Foundation, which fosters organizations particularly in the areas of arts and education in Denver, and as a founding board member of Union Hall, a new model to support local and emerging artists in downtown Denver.

  East West Partners

  Managing Partner

  Amy Cara

  Managing Partner

  East West Partners

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  Megan Waldschmidt

  Megan has over 15 years of public and private accounting, auditing and tax experience working in small to medium-sized companies. She previously served as the controller and CFO for large construction and engineering firms in Colorado. Megan has a degree in accounting and worked in public accounting for five years doing both audit and tax work for a regional firm that specialized in Construction Accounting. She then went to work as the controller and CFO for a high-end custom home builder followed by working as the CFO for a construction and engineering firm. Prior to her work at Westside, Megan worked with a land developer as the CFO of a large development near DIA.

  Westside Investment Partners

  Principal

  Megan Waldschmidt

  Principal

  Westside Investment Partners

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  Daniel Aizenman

  Director

  Conscience Bay Company

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  John Euwema

  John Euwema is a seasoned construction professional with a proven track record of delivering complex, high-value projects across commercial office, hospitality, multifamily, retail, education, healthcare, civic, and public-sector markets. He brings deep experience managing projects ranging from under $1M to more than $100M+, with particular strength in occupied renovations, adaptive reuse, and technically intensive work. Throughout his career, John has led the successful execution of hospitality and multifamily renovations, retail center redevelopments, office repositioning and spec suite programs, healthcare and laboratory facilities, community and recreation centers, and large-scale hospitality developments, as well as renewable energy infrastructure including solar PV installations. He is known for his ability to align owners, designers, and trade partners to deliver high-quality results while minimizing disruption to active operations.

  Centerre

  Senior Project Manager

  John Euwema

  Senior Project Manager

  Centerre

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  Sarah Cullen

  Sarah Cullen is the Founder and President of SideCar Public Relations, a full-service communications firm specializing in commercial real estate, community building and placemaking. With a passion for all aspects of the built environment, Sarah founded SideCar in 2011 with a firm belief in the power of the stories behind the people, places and projects that are elevating communities and shaping vibrant cities across the U.S. Under Sarah’s leadership, SideCar brings a results-focused, relationship-based approach to public relations and communications that matches the fast-paced, complex nature of the commercial real estate industry. Sarah’s passion for constantly improving and evolving the nature of communications services within this industry allows her team to drive meaningful, standout results for clients and their bottom lines through creative and strategic approaches. Working with brokers, developers, architects, property owners and managers, capital investors, industry organizations, and business leaders, Sarah and the SideCar team have a deep understanding of the ever-changing real estate environment locally, regionally and nationally. Her team harnesses their collective expertise to develop strategies that consider industry trends, challenges and opportunities for their clients to succeed and grow within the built environment. Sarah has been recognized among Denver Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, the distinguished Marquis Who’s Who in America, and Bisnow Denver’s Power Women, thanks to her highly sought-after expertise and success as an industry expert and community leader. Sarah and SideCar received national recognition in 2021, being named one of the best PR firms in the country by Forbes. As an influential member of Denver’s broader business community, Sarah also lends her expertise for city building to industry and community organizations. Sarah serves on the Downtown Denver Partnership’s Urban Exploration and ¡Viva! Streets Steering Committees; is an incoming mentor for the Urban Land Institute’s Partnership Forum program; and is a member of the Denver Metro Commercial Association of Realtors’ (DMCAR) Investor group.

  SideCar Public Relations

  Founder and President

  Moderator

  Sarah Cullen

  Founder and President

  SideCar Public Relations